An Ode to Winter
By Aanand
Oh, dear winter,
your cold windy days,
building snowmen,
and making snow angels,

Oh, cold winter,
your beautiful snowflakes,
slowly drifting down,
while I try to catch one on my tongue,

Oh, lovely winter
when your cold blizzards strike,
I'm lucky to be in a cozy blanket,
drinking a cup of hot cocoa,
oh, lovely winter



An Ode to Chocolate
by Aanand
Oh delightful chocolate,
sweet,
tasty,
made from the sweetest cocoa beans
of the finest cocoa trees,
oh yummy chocolate.

oh compatible chocolate,
either in ice cream,
or packed in tight squares in a bar,
too much of you is going too far,
oh delicious chocolate.

oh sweet chocolate,
I crave for you,
whether you're in brownies
or in chocolate milk,
I still crave for you,
oh tasty chocolate.



An Ode to my Kitties
By Devan Johnson


Oh kitties, my kittiesYour gestures mean more than your little noses know,As they rub up against my cheek and make a soft purr in which I hear ‘love.’Like waves breaking on the shore your face crashes over mine relentlessly, rhythmically, existentially, and calls into being the sandy frailty of my daily façade.
Oh kitties, my kitties,
Your little kitty toes
shield your little kitty faces from the light I just turned on when I entered the room,
I’m sorry to have woken you from your well-earned slumber,
it’s been a long day of licking, and swatting, and growling, and sleeping.
Oh it’s hard being a little kitty, sleep little kitties,
and let your purrs reverberate through the floorboards into the foundation of this house.

Oh kitties, my kitties,
Your aires of nonchalance
Aren’t fooling anyone
Who touches the feeling of caring, your distant and apathetic looks hardly detract
from the warm and furry furriness of your furvacious fur,
To bury one’s face in it is to have little kitty arms wrapped around one’s head,
little kitty arms punctuated with little kitty claws… ow, ow, little kitty claws…




Ode to the Beach
By Julia
Oh dear beach, your gentle winds
brush against my cheek
as I bask in
the sun,
your cold
water, chills my
body as I splash
through the
salty, fish filled
waves. I run through
a school of fish,
I jump on a
surfboard
and lie on my stomach,
as I rock gently back
and forth in the
shallow waters

I smell salty air,
I stare at
the small hole in
the ground. I rush myself
to the ocean and fill the
hole up as my own private
swimming hole, as my mother
brings me a chocolate bar,
I eat it contently,
while a small blue fish
tickles my toes.
I stare over the
crowded, sand covered
land.

Wind swirls all around,
we make shapes
out of wet, salty sand
when the tide comes in,
we go with the flow
and splash
around

Why are you so hot on land
and
cold in the ocean?
Why do you make us
giggle when we’re
knocked over by waves?

O dear beach,
you are so
relaxing and
warm, as you let us
mold shapes
on your grainy, soft shore

We shield our food
from the thieving seagulls

O beach, you always
let us have a good time.



*"Ode to Friends"
Samantha H.
It's their questions, quirks, and qualities
That make me love my friends so dearly.
They are my sweethearts, honeys and darlings,
My companions, comrades and allies.
And only my babes, my dearies, my right-hand warriors
Know where to find me
When I am lost or hiding
And you raise me up.
You are that pressure in my chest,
That awareness in my soul,
Telling me softly, gently, kindly
That with you I’m always home.
And you have to know by nowT
hat I need you
Much more than you need me.
But tell me your pains, sweetheart,
And I will make them go away.
Tell me your fears, silly goose,
And I will keep you safe.
Tell me things won’t change, cherie,
And I’ll make sure they stay the same
.But as for this moment here between us
Let me hold onto you
Just for a little while longer
For I am tired and must rest
And you are so much stronger.*


An Ode to Kittens
By Anushka

My dream kitten
the fluffy fur
the soft fur
the small sweet kitten
its small tail
its eyes like lakes
its small pink nose
smells like flowers
looks so pretty
oh how I wish it was
mine

Your droopy fur
your small white tail
harmless as other people don’t think
but how
I
love you
you don’t bite
you don’t get your fur dirty
you’re great about everything,
and never are mean

I wish you could talk
what would you say?
do you like me?
Please be mine
Ode to Black
By Nydia

Shrouded in secrecy
You hide me quite well

If no one is looking
Then they can’t tell

That I drown in your depth
Wrap myself in your void

Together we lurch in dark corners
Hide happily from golden rays

Play dress up as funeral mourners
Get lost in the abyss for days

Your soot keeps me calm
Cradles my love in its gaze

Forever together, lost at sea
Oh, black how I love thee


An Ode to the Beach
By Annika

Oh soft hot sand
On my feet
Running to water
And jumping in.
Your water feels cool on a hot day.
Under water
Close my eyes
I’ll come up for
The salty beach air.
Dancing with family
On the Beach
You put sand all over
Me. Making a
Water pool
For your crabs to
Swim in.

Getting tan
And a sunburn
On my nose.
A seagull takes
Snacks while I
Watch Dolphins


Ode to Christmas
by Annika

Oh you Jolly Holiday.
With you Santa Claus so merry.
I love you sound of Jingle Bells
On Christmas day.

I unwrap your presents.
out my sticking
Comes your candy canes
Five dollars and a
Plastic Ring

"Oh mommy, mommy!"
I used to say as I
Opened my last present.
Now I go "Mom, I'm opening
the last present!"

As I open your last
present as family sit
Around. Out comes
An Artist Painting Set
Which I've always
Wanted!!! Oh bye
Wow Jolly, Holly Christmas
How sad I'm when you
Leave.


Ode to Spyro the Dragon
Sarah Muldowney


Eager, headstrong,
purple protagonist,
protecting residents of
Dragon Realm

Honey horned,
sheep swallowing,
dragonfly directed
hero

You gather gems
of radiant reds,
brilliant blues,
effulgent emeralds

When Gnasty Gnorc
and his gang of Gnorcs
freeze your friends
you frolic
across the Playstation plane
You free them


An Ode to TreesBy Jocelyn
Oh trees you
are so pretty
you have such
colorful leaves
Maple trees give out
syrup
yummy, sticky
and golden brown

You’re fun to
climb
you make me
calm
icicles hang from
our branches
in the
winter
glinting snow on
your bare head

In Fall your
leaves fall off
you
they turn
so crunchy and
yellow, sometimes
red
or
brown
or just stays
green
oh your
leaves are just
incredible

You breathe in
carbon dioxide
you give us all
oxygen
even though
you have bugs
in you, I don’t
care
I love you
so much I’ll
do anything.
what would it
be, oh lovely tree?

Ode to Earth
by Jocelyn

O Earth you are so important
you are just what we all live in
you are all nature
and that's what
I love
about
YOU





Ode to Designing a Unique Reality


Somehow I’m tired

Despite sleeping in until noon

Discouraged

Even though I have not tried.

Caught off guard; vulnerable

Distracted by nothing important

Thinking about all the mistakes I’ve made.

Counting the snooze alarms, the coffee

The rare moments of you.

A friend sleeps soundly in the corner

A stranger works intensely out of sight

Are we equally concerned?

I’ve ignored the man behind me

His investments (pointed at the back of my neck)

His fists crashing down on the desk

Out of annoyance, demanding

An auxiliary or a victim.

Youth and my labor, only defenses

Which dwindle away with time.

Maybe motivation

Is innate

Could I give myself a break?

Instead maybe I ought to ask for help

I don’t have to everything by myself

Yes, your company and word are rare

But it only takes a moment

Before I can take control

Knowing that a sunrise like this

Is fair warning.

Oh, but it’s fair to say

This has been the reality

I have built

Nurtured

And challenged.